Yamato Nadeshiko
by Belanciequ
Summary: A new drama is about to unfold, and she's not just the leading role - she's Japan's most ideal woman.
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Skip Beat or any of its characters, except the ones I made myself ^^

**Prologue**

At the moment she entered, the whole room held their breath.

It was like a painting came alive. Her flowing black hair, her long and thick eyelashes, her white porcelain skin – everything about them were whispering something unreal. But the most mesmerizing feature of her was the way she held herself; graceful and full of pride like a queen, yet sweet and innocent like a newly blossomed flower.

She strolled across the room, paying no attention to all of the adoring looks, and only focused on one man: a tall samurai with golden locks and enchanting blue eyes, standing at the other side of the room.

Her true love.

He was looking at her, too, with an almost-worshipping look. Finally, she reached him - as he pulled her towards him.

"You look beautiful, Nadeshiko."


	2. Chapter 1 Meet Shinichi Azuma!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Skip Beat or any of its characters, except the ones I made myself ^^

**Chapter 1 – Meet Shinichi Azuma**

More than fifteen pairs of eye bulged out of their sockets as a middle-aged man in a dazzling blue suit entered the LME building and walked up to the receptionist. The poor woman, obviously unused to men who had their hair braided with colorful hair bands, gaped for a moment before quickly recovered and forced herself to smile.

"Ehm.. may I help you, sir?"

The man in question coughed. "Oh, um, yes. My name's Shinichi Azuma, and I have a meeting with Tsuruga Ren today at 2pm."

'Ts-tsuruga..?" After a while, the woman nodded. "Ah, yes. You can go up to the seventh floor, Dianthus room."

"Dianthus room. What a coincidence." He chuckled. "Thank you." Shinichi took the elevator and left.

"Pretty strange, isn't he?" The receptionist talked to her friend, who just shrugged, looking unimpressed.

"Have you met the president of the LME, Takarada Lorry?" She shook her head. "No wonder. You're new, right? Well, he isn't around that often these days. But one thing for sure, he's far more eccentric than that man."

* * *

><p>"What's next, Yashiro?" Ren asked as he hurriedly put on a vest over his shirt.<p>

"A meeting with the director – which is also the scriptwriter – of Yamato Nadeshiko."

Ren raised his eyes questioningly. "What's that?"

Yashiro Yukihito sighed and fixed his glasses. "It's a title of a new drama you've agreed upon, about a perfect Japanese woman or something. Anyway, it's held at 2pm, so," he checked his watch. 1:49. "we better get hurry or else we'll taint your punctual prince's reputation."

Ren laughed and followed his manager to the elevator, down to the seventh floor. He just had finished his currently airing drama, 'A Lost Letter', which was about a woman going to confess to her longtime-crush through a letter, but unfortunately she lost the letter. One of her co-worker found it accidentally and she begged him to return the letter. He agreed – but only if she became his girlfriend for a whole three weeks.

It was a light, heartwarming comedy romance. Ren enjoyed it, but he felt that he still needed to grow – he was still far from surpassing his father. He hoped this next job would be as challenging as 'The Tragic Marker', since Lorry specifically assigned him for this and there would be no chance to refuse.

They stopped in front of a door signed 'Dianthus Room'. The door was opened slightly, revealing a figure of a man sitting patiently on one of the oak chairs. Yashiro frowned. "He's early. I expected him to be late, since people said he's kinda lax about time. But I guess this drama's very important to him."

That man practically jumped on his chair when they knocked, and immediately rose in excitement. Only then that Ren could really see him – a striking blue suit, braided hair completed with colorful hair bands, silver earrings, a pair of an 80's sunglasses, and the most amazing of all things: a beautiful phoenix tattoo right on his chest, which could be seen because he left his shirt practically unbuttoned.

Seeing the weirdo President almost every day, Ren was able to keep a straight-face – well, not completely – not to mention he was a very capable actor. But then he realized that Yashiro was still gaping and nudged him.

Yashiro blushed and coughed as to regain his dignity. He then bowed politely towards that man. "You must be Shinichi Azuma. Pleased to meet you, I'm Yashiro Yukihito, the manager of Tsuruga Ren."

"Pleased to meet you too, Yashiro-san, Tsuruga-san. And first of all I'd like to thank you for taking part in my upcoming drama."

"No, it should be me who feels grateful." Ren smiled his lady-killer smile. "But unfortunately I've yet to receive the script, so could you please tell me about it?"

"Ah!" Shinichi rummaged his bag and pulled out a stack of paper and handed it to Ren. "Here, please take a look at this." Ren started flipping the papers. Realizing there would be no way for him to finish the reading so quickly, Shinichi asked politely, "Or do you prefer me to summarize it for you, Tsuruga-san? You can have the paper so you could read through it once more at home."

"Actually, that would be great, Shinichi-san."

"Well," Shinichi cleared his throat. "To begin, you should've heard about Yamato Nadeshiko, ne?"

Only years of acting experience prevented him for stuttering. "Yes, of course." _Damn. I should've researched it first! Is she famous or something?_

"Erm," Unexpectedly, Yashiro became the hero of the day. "Actually, I've never heard about it." _Bingo_.

Shinichi's jaw dropped open. "What! Are you even Japanese?" Then he laughed at himself. "Don't mind me. I guess the younger generation doesn't really pay attention to those kinds of things anymore, eh?" He sighed. "Well, basically, Yamato Nadeshiko is a term used to refer an ideal Japanese woman: beautiful, smart, and loyal. She is said to possess the traditional grace and beauty of a Nadeshiko flower: also called Japanese Dianthus, which is why I said what a coincidence that we met here in the Dianthus Room."

As Shinichi explained this, Ren was struck with an image flashed across his mind: Kyoko, dressed in a yukata wearing a long black hair wig. Yamato Nadeshiko. He quickly shut his imagination away and focused on whatever Shinchi was explaining next.

"So, basically, the story's about an imaginary Yamato Nadeshiko. She lived somewhere in the era of Edo, and was said to be the most beautiful woman in Japan. Unfortunately, she had a drunken father who sold her to a wealthy shogun. Being an obedient child she is, she didn't resist."

"Afraid of someone stealing his beautiful wife, the shogun decided to forbid her from going outside and showered her with jewels and dresses instead. Now trapped in her golden cage, Yamato Nadeshiko slowly lost her passion for life."

"One day, when the shogun was away, she ran away from the shogun's castle. Suddenly, a group of young men appeared and tried to assault her- fortunately she was saved by a samurai passing by."

"Strangely, this samurai wore a piece of cloth which covered half of his face and his entire head. Even though Nadeshiko was afraid of him, she thanked him and offered him to have dinner at the castle. On the way home, a branch of tree accidentally ripped the cloth he was wearing and revealed the fact that he was a gaijin."

"Instead of running away like the samurai previously thought, Nadeshiko held her ground. Her curiosity was picking up. Starting from that day, they met each other in secret – until the shogun learnt about his wife's 'special guest'."

Shinichi smiled and clapped his hands together. "So, what do you think?"

Both Ren and Yashiro jerked up. Shinichi had a strangely alluring voice which made him amazing at telling story – they secretly were disappointed when he had ended it. "I think it was an amazing story so far, Shinichi-san. May I know the continuation of the story?"

He smiled mysteriously. "Sure, you can read the script, Tsuruga-san."

Ren sighed. "If you say so. By the way, have you decided on the female leading role, Shinichi-san?" Not that it mattered anyway – Tsuruga Ren was okay with whomever he worked with, or for exact, he didn't really care.

Shinichi's eyes lit up. "Oh, yes! Um, actually, I haven't contacted her yet, but I'll try to persuade her into this. I saw her once in a drama where she was playing the antagonist, and she had this graceful aura I'm looking for! I think it's called 'Box A' or something?"

Ren and Yashiro froze. "Do you mean Box-R, Shinichi-san?"

"Ah, yes! That's it! The one who played Natsu.. she's really impressive. I think Mogami Kyoko will become a perfect Yamato Nadeshiko."


	3. Chapter 2 Rival

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Skip Beat or any of its characters, except the ones I made myself ^^

**Chapter 2 - Rival**

Kyoko stood in front of the door of Tsuruga Ren's flat, fist rising halfway to knock. Even though she had come here for hundreds time, she was still nervous. She took a deep breath and braced herself to knock.

Suddenly, the door flew open and she found herself face-to-face with Ren.

He smiled a heavenly smile which nearly blinded her demons. "Good evening, Mogami-san."

She was dumbfounded. "G-good evening, Tsuruga-senpai." _How did he know I was already here? Did he have a psychokinetic power or something?_

Ren chuckled. Actually, he had been waiting for her right behind the door. Curios that no one was knocking even though her footsteps had come to a halt, he opened the door and surprised her in the process. _She must think I gain a fairy power or something. _He sighed at the thought.

After a series of formal Japanese greeting, Kyoko immediately settled in the kitchen, busying herself with the food and knife. Ren leaned on the sofa and turned the TV on, since Kyoko didn't like being watched while cooking. Occasionally he would glance at the high school girl and wondering if she had been informed about the new drama.

When the food was ready, Ren decided to ask cryptically. "How's work, Mogami-san?"

There was a pause. Then, "It was great."

Ren raised his eyebrows. Work was a common topic between them, but this was the first time Kyoko wasn't enthusiastic in talking about it. _Isn't she supposed to be ecstatic knowing this would be her first debut?_ "Is that so? You seem upset about something."

"Eh?" She blushed. Was she really that easy to read? She didn't want Ren to think of her as unprofessional, so she tried to pick her words carefully. "Ah..um..actually, a new script just arrived this morning. It's really good.. No, it's beyond good. It's brilliant." She took a deep breath. "The title's Yamato Nadeshiko."

Ren smiled. "Well, that's good news, isn't it? What kind of role are you going to play?'

"Um, actually, I was offered to be the female leading role."

His face showed a pleasant surprised expression. "That's amazing, Mogami-san! So that means it's going to be your debut, then?" She nodded. "Congratulation. So you're going to accept it, I guess."

Unexpectedly, she didn't nod or say anything for a while. He was beyond confused. Why didn't she _look_ happy? "Is there something wrong, Mogami-san?"

She bit her lower lip and looked like she was about to cry. "Actually, it isn't only me."

"Excuse me?"

"Moko-san," she referred to her Love Me bestfriend, Kotonami Kanae, with a sad voice. "was also offered the leading role. The two of us will be auditioned." She blinked back a drop of tear, but another threatened to fall.

Ren was stunned for a second, but then quickly placed his arms around her and embraced her gently. "I see. It must be hard for you." This time Kyoko didn't resist. Despite feeling happy that his lady love was in his embrace, it was painful to see her cry.

"I hate it." She mumbled. "I hate that feeling. When they said that Moko-chan is going to be auditioned against me, I was.. I actually felt disappointed. And worried." She sighed heavily. "Why? I should've been happy! But-but I want the role _so_ _much_, I couldn't help but feeling jealous. I hate that ugly feeling, and I just can't get rid of it!"

Ren sighed. He knew that Kyoko cared a lot for Kotonami, and even though she never showed it, he knew Kotonami cared about her best friend too. He closed his eyes. _What the hell was that weirdo director doing? _Well, his guess was that Shinichi bumped into Kotonami Kanae on his way to meet Kyoko and saw something in her - which complicated things.

"Damn." He muttered softly. He waited patiently for Kyoko to calm down before wiping the tears away from her cheeks. "Mogami-san, look at me." Blushing, she raised her eyes to meet his. "Listen to me. Don't let this best-friend-as-a-rival-thing drag you down." She frowned.

"But Moko-chan.."

"What I mean is, as a professional actor, you should forget the fact that Kotonami is your best friend. You two will do the audition fairly as professional actresses who just happen to know each other, and you'll congratulate the one who passes." He winked. "Besides, I don't think Kotonami-san is going to accept it if you concede defeat so easily. You know how high her pride is."

Kyoko giggled while wiping the last drop of tear from her face. "You're right. Thank you so much for your advice, Tsuruga-san." Suddenly, she realized the embarrassing position she was in and quickly disengaged herself from Ren's arms, blushing furiously. "I'm so sorry, Tsuruga-san!"

"No, I don't really mind.." But she had fled to the kitchen. Ren sighed. It looked like he had to take things painfully slow with her. But then he remembered that Kyoko had accepted his comfort and he felt warm inside. Well, whatever Yashiro said, a tiny progress was still a progress, after all.

* * *

><p>Kotonami Kanae flipped through the pages of the Yamato Nadeshiko's script without really looking. It had been two days since the director of Yamato Nadeshiko, Shinichi Azuma, offered her a leading role in his upcoming drama. It wasn't just big – it was a <em>huge<em> project. And it would definitely boost up her career.

The only problem was that the role was originally Kyoko's, and Kanae didn't like the feeling of snatching something away from her.

Kanae sighed and tossed the script across her room. If it had been anyone else, she wouldn't even give a damn. But this was Kyoko, the only person she cared about beside her family.

Which one should she choose – her best friend or career?

Minutes passed as she immersed in her own thought. Finally, the clock struck nine and she made her decision: she would think of this audition as a measure against her and Kyoko's ability. If she won, she would find a way to apologize and make it up to her friend – even though she knew Kyoko would have been forgiven her already. And if she lost.. well, it just meant that Kyoko was that great of an actress.

She picked the script up again and started reading with a new determination. She would have to give her all tomorrow at the audition.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes :<p>

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. Please feel free to post up any suggests/comments/critics, and I apologize for the mistakes in the grammar or vocabularies, since I'm not an English-as-the-first-language user. Anyway, thanks and happy reading! ^^


	4. Chapter 3 Showdown 1

So sorry for the veryyy late update everyone . crazy weeks at school, so.. you know -.-

anyway, thanks so much for the reviews! nothing much happens in this chapter, but i hope you enjoy it :)**  
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I'm thinking of writing an one-shot.. inspired by the song Just a Kiss from Lady Antebellum. it matches Kyoko and Ren perfectly, ne? what do u guys think?

Disclaimer : I do not own Skip Beat! ^^

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3 – Showdown 1<strong>

Shinichi Azuma sipped his coffee and sighed at the delicious aroma. Across him, a tall man in suit was watching him patiently. Finally, he put the mug down and smiled. "Nothing beats a cup of Blue Mountain coffee in the morning."

The man laughed. He then waved at a bunch of scripts with _Yamato Nadeshiko _printed on it. "Anyway, at what time will they arrive?"

"I think they'll be here shortly."

As to confirm his guess, a knock on the door brought both of the men rising. The door was opened revealing two stunning girls: one with long black hair – surely it was Kotonami Kanae – and a cute girl with blonde locks, Mogami Kyoko.

"Ah, welcome, Mogami-san, Kotonami-san. Please come in."

They sat and Azuma introduced them to his partner. "I'd like you to meet Inoe Kaito, the producer and our sponsor of Yamato Nadeshiko."

After bowing in a traditional way, Kaito extended his hand with a bright smile on his face. Kyoko took it, blushing. _He is really good-looking, albeit different from Tsuruga-san.._ thought Kyoko – and immediately she wanted to bang her head on the wall. _What was I thinking! He's a respectable, handsome grown man, and there's just no way he'll find a little girl like me attractive. Not to mention he's probably super-rich and can get any women he wants. _She sighed. And why the hell was she comparing him to his senpai anyway?

Kanae shook his hand, but aware of the lingering look Kaito gave Kyoko, while the said girl didn't even seem to take notice. She smiled secretly. Sometimes her best friend could be really dense.

After the formal introduction, they went straight to business. "I expect you two to have prepared for the role?" When they both nodded, the director continued. "Well, I'm going to ask you to act in Scene 36, page 17." The three of them hurriedly flipped the pages while Azuma seemed to have memorized the whole script. "It's the scene where Yamato Nadeshiko was forced to flee the castle, but she refused. It's a really emotional scene, so you don't need to follow the script. What I want is for you to portray your own Nadeshiko."

Kyoko bit her lip. Her own Nadeshiko? How was she going to figure that out without the help of Moko-san and her senpai? _You're a big girl, Kyoko_, she though wryly. _Stop depending on everyone._

"Excuse me, Shinichi-san?"

"Yes, Kotonami-san? What is it?"

"Who's going to play the shogun? I don't see any other actors beside us in here."

"Ah, about that.." Kaito coughed in embarrassment. "I'm going to play the shogun, Kotonami-san. I hope you don't mind."

"You can act, too, Inoue-san? That's wonderful." Said Kyoko, impressed.

"Please call me Kaito, Mogami-san. And actually I only have a little experience in acting. Azuma here asked me for a favor since we don't have any spare actors today. So please go easy on me." He grinned.

"Kaito's role is to convince you to run away. If you're unable to counterattack his words, well.." Azuma smile in encouragement. "You have 15 minutes to practice. I'll tell you the next part you'll be playing after the showdown." He clapped his hands. "The second time you entered this room, I expect to see Yamato Nadeshiko walking in."

* * *

><p>Kyoko sat on the floor, at the darkest corner of the room and lost deep in thought. Nadeshiko was brave, and her pride prevented her from leaving. But that wasn't all. She didn't even hesitate to stay. <em>Did she love him? The man she was forced to marry with?<em> She thought glumly. No, it wasn't right. Then, what was keeping her?

She closed her eyes and tried to understand Nadeshiko's feelings.

_What were you thinking, when you were risking your life for a man you hardly loved and a home you hardly cared for?_

_Why didn't you just go with the man you love? Why still care for a husband who had locked you up for almost the entire of your life?_

That was when the answer hit her.

It was her responsibility.

No matter how much she loved the gaijin, she was still the shogun's wife and the mistress of the house. It didn't matter whether she loved the shogun or not – she was a faithful wife, and she was going to stay with him until the end.

She stood up. She was going to need some props, and only five minutes left. _I hope I can make it_, she pleaded while running down the LME's corridor towards the costume room.

* * *

><p>"Um, where's Mogami-san?" Kaito asked, confusion crossed his face as he was looking for the auburn-haired girl.<p>

Kanae shrugged. "To grab some props, maybe. It's okay, I don't mind starting first."

Kaito looked at her appearance and quickly understood why she herself didn't need props; she had looked like Yamato Nadeshiko herself, minus the cold eyes and uncaring attitude. "So.. I guess you two have already known each other, seeing that both of you comes from LME."

It took her a few seconds before answering. "..yeah, I guess you can say that."

Kaito frowned at her coldness and gave up the conversation, until the last minutes ticked off and she stood, her whole demeanor changed. Suddenly, the iciness faded from her eyes and her lips curved into a serene smile. In an instant, she became a whole new person.

With an unrecognizable smile, she nodded at Kaito. "Shall we?"

He stuttered, clearly not expecting this sweet transformation. "Y-yes."

Azuma looked up when they stepped in and was impressed. Gone was the cold beauty of Kotonami Kanae, leaving only a gentle, kind Nadeshiko. He coughed. "Well, you may start now."

Hearing his cue, Kaito took a deep breath and tried to get immersed in his role; a defeated, broken lord who was begging for his dear wife to flee.

He stared into the dark brown eyes of the beautiful woman in front of him, his shoulders slumped. "Go," he whispered with hoarse voice. "they're coming; you have to go."

Half-heartedly Kanae admitted that this man _could_ act. _But not as good as me_, Kanae thought while smirking inside as she took a step forward, reaching and cupping his face in her hands. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears. "No." she shook her head and said firmly. "I'm not leaving you." She tried to embrace him, but he dodged it.

"No! You must go." he was angry. "There's no use in staying any longer!"

She kept her voice flat. "If you stay, I'll stay."

He ran his hands through his copper hair, frustrated. Then all of sudden he grabbed her shoulder, squeezing it. She winced. "Go. This is an order."

Once again she shook her head. "I'm afraid I'm unable to fulfill your order, my lord. I'm staying with you."

He sighed. "Why? Don't you hate me, Nadeshiko?"

There was a pause. Then, "..I don't, my lord. Why would you say that? You're my husband, and therefore-"

"Stop it, Nadeshiko. There's no use lying to me because I know about you and that gaijin." He looked at her shocked face solemnly. "Yes, you thought I wouldn't have figured it out by now?" Her head bowed down, but no tears came out. Instead, she stepped beside him, and locked her fingers around his.

"It doesn't matter anymore." He stared at her in surprise, but she wasn't looking at him. She was looking faraway, her expression distant and lonely, but determined. "I'll still be here with you, because that's where I truly belong."

"Cut!"

As soon as Azuma called a cut, she broke her joined hand. Azuma clapped in enthusiasm. "That was amazing, Kotonami-san, Kaito-chan! You two are really talented." His eyes were sparkling, which made Kanae couldn't help but smile and bowed. "Thank you, Shinichi-san. I'm flattered to hear that."

There was a knock and the door creaked open slightly. "It must be Kyoko. I better go out now." Kanae said.

Azuma nodded. "Thank you very much, Kotonami-san. We'll inform you about the result in a few days. Have a nice day."

He waited for her reply, but none came. Frowning, he looked up and saw the most beautiful woman stood gracefully in front of him. Her long black wig was cut in even height, making it glossy. Her already lush eyelashes were thickened with mascara, her lips tinted dark red. She looked so.. regal.

For a few seconds, no one uttered a word. Then the woman spoke softly, looking unsure. "..um, Shinichi-san?"

Startled, Azuma blinked a few times before speaking. This should have been no surprise for him, since he had seen such a drastic transformation in Box 'R'_. But she's really beautiful_, he thought while peeking at Kaito - and smiled when he saw him still gaping.

He coughed. "Uh, yes, Kyoko-chan.. you may begin."


End file.
